THE POWER OF AN EDUCATED GIRL

by Diana Archer-Mills

Workout for Water is a fundraising project that is about so much more than just providing a community with access to clean, safe water. Beyond the immediate alleviation of thirst lies the limitless potential of an educated girl. Diana Mills explains why we all need to sit up and listen.

You may have heard, Les Mills is running this little fundraising initiative called Workout For Water.

Maybe you’ve seen the video of the girls, one whose village has access to water and the other whose village doesn’t. Maybe you’ve scrolled past and thought, “Cool, I’ll totally donate to that”, but not wanted your mind filled with the obvious misery of that struggle for too long, so moved on. I get it! Anyone with an ounce of empathy (and a life to get on with) finds this stuff so damn hard to look at. Because frankly, we know we have it easy and those images show just how hideous life is, and whatever we do, we are not going to eliminate the issue entirely… right?

So what’s the freaking point? Here's the deal...

Girls who are educated beyond primary school make incredible differences to their communities:

· They run their households more efficiently, creating healthier homes

· They have learnt how to build economic activity for themselves and their family, meaning they have more money

· This economic activity leads to more opportunities for their community, building more stable societies around the world

· And finally, an educated girl creates harmony within a community, they have stronger social skills and support other women and children (extremely important in times of crisis or illness)

How do we know all this? Studies, probably conducted by educated girls.

When girls get educated, they can look after themselves and their families better, they become more valuable members of their communities. Nice, but the world is still in crisis right?

Well, an educated girl becomes an educated woman, and here’s where it gets really flipping awesome…

An educated woman marries later, has fewer children, has an increased ability to problem-solve, knows how to more sustainably use the land and has the knowledge and developed life skills to aid her community in times of serious crisis.

An educated woman…

· Helps combat overpopulation

· Is able to evolve a community’s economic endeavors without First World assistance

If you watch this video below you’ll see, Tirukalem, the girl with water, has benefitted from the proximity of clean water – meaning laborious domestic duties don’t stop her going to school. At the very least, she will go on to be more self-reliant and at the most … who knows.

Just like we tell our daughters, as we educate them and send them off into the world, “You can be whatever you want to be.” And we believe they can, as long as they get the right education. Imagine if the same could be said for all daughters, everywhere?

IT STARTS HERE.

The key to enabling a girl to go to school is providing water and sanitation projects like the ones we are working towards. You fundraise = water is available = girls get educated = we make the world a better place.

As Les Mills Creative Director Diana Mills works with fitness professionals, exercise scientists and a global tribe of instructors to shape the music and moves that feature in some of the world’s most popular workouts. Every three months she drives the creation of new releases for each of these programs. Learn more about Diana and her passions for a fitter planet here.

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